A few days after getting a new sword.
“Here’s your identity badge.”
“How is it? Any issues?”
“No, it seems fine.”
The identification badge that Jevan had prepared was inspected by Lowell on the same day, and the results confirmed there were no problems.
“The post-processing was done well.”
“That’s a relief.”
If there had been an issue, things could have gotten complicated, but fortunately, everything was fine.
“By the way…”
“Yes?”
As I carefully placed the badge into my pocket, Lowell gave me a sharp look.
“Would you stop wrecking dummies? Is that sword really so impressive?”
Ah, the dummies.
Come to think of it, I had indeed gone a bit overboard with them over the past few days.
“Deduct the cost of the destroyed dummies from my salary. I want to keep practicing.”
“Hah, it’s rare to see such a miser lend out a sword for free. Quite the anomaly.”
“Well, I still have to compensate him if I lose it.”
“That’s only natural.”
Well, that’s true.
From Lowell’s reaction, it seems lending me the sword in this manner was quite a significant privilege.
“I think I understand why he did it.”
“Why’s that?”
“He probably sees you as a long-term client worth investing in.”
“According to him, the sword has never broken.”
A sword that never breaks—would a customer with that claim really become a long-term client?
Usually, people stick with a weapon once it feels familiar.
“Do you really believe that? Even I’ve had to replace my personal weapon multiple times.”
…True.
A sword that never breaks? That sounds far-fetched.
Most swords are designed thin and sharp—they’d naturally break with enough use.
“Anyway, now that you have a mercenary badge, are you heading out to gather materials?”
“Yes, I’m planning to explore the mountains lightly.”
With even a bronze-tier mercenary badge, leaving the city isn’t a hassle.
I plan to head out with Jevan’s mercenary group for a reconnaissance trip.
“Be careful.”
“Don’t worry. Monsters are my specialty.”
In fact, I’m better at dealing with monsters than people.
Though I haven’t seen any in years, back when I was a champion at the Colosseum, I killed so many monsters that their corpses piled up like mountains.
“Highland monsters are dangerous, but… we’ve also found suspicious evidence.”
“Evidence?”
“Yes, do you remember the underground sewer investigation?”
“Oh, yes. What happened with that?”
Now that I think about it, all I’d heard was that the Royal Knights had been dispatched. I never found out the results.
“To summarize, the devil worshippers hiding underground were annihilated.”
“Oh, they got them all?”
The reputation of the Royal Knights, which had taken a hit, seemed to have recovered.
Thinking back to the ambush in the sewers, their strength couldn’t have been trivial.
“Yes, most of them were killed, and several high-ranking devil worshippers were captured.”
“That’s impressive. How strong are their high-ranking members?”
High-ranking devil worshippers… I wondered what they were like, but Lowell gave me an odd look.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Didn’t you capture one yourself?”
“Me? Oh, that guy?”
When I thought about it, there was indeed someone who came to mind.
The one I struggled with in the sewers.
“Yes, he was one of the high-ranking members.”
“Ah…”
No wonder he was so tough.
That level of strength makes sense for someone in that position.
“The one with the hand protruding from his hood—was that a distinctive trait?”
“Most likely. The abilities of devil worshippers usually depend on the devil they’ve contracted with.”
“I see…”
“Fortunately, he’d only recently become a high-ranking member. He wasn’t fully accustomed to his powers yet.”
“That explains why he only used a sword.”
For someone who had gained powers through worship, he had only used his abilities once.
He must have been unfamiliar with his new strength.
“Even so, he was that strong—it’s astonishing.”
“That man, in particular, was a remnant of the Lugar Kingdom.”
“What?”
“He was a former knight who survived the war. The cleanup squad verified his identity.”
“So, the remnants of the Lugar Kingdom and the devil worshippers are working together…”
“Yes, you could call it a consolidation of forces.”
So, have the remnants all turned into devil worshippers?
Well, to be exact, they must be worshipping devils for the sake of revenge.
“By the way… isn’t there some kind of extra reward for taking down a high-ranking member?”
Now that I think about it, that guy turned out to be far more formidable than I initially thought.
If left alone, he could’ve become an even tougher opponent as he got more accustomed to his devil abilities.
Stopping him early was a big deal.
Surely there should be some sort of bonus reward for this, right?
“Hmm, Lorenz will handle that part.”
“Lorenz?”
“Yes, didn’t he mention that you’d receive additional compensation after your treatment?”
“Oh.”
Right, now that he mentions it, I do recall hearing something about that.
I’d been so busy training with the new sword after my recovery that it completely slipped my mind.
“You should visit him soon.”
“Yes, I’ll drop by in a few days when I go to the Mercenary Guild.”
Well, I can stop by Lorenz while I’m at the Mercenary Guild.
A few days later, I headed straight to the Astra Trading Company, where Lorenz was located, early in the morning.
“Welcome.”
“Hello, I’m here to see Mr. Lorenz.”
“You can go right in.”
The same red-haired woman from before guided me downstairs.
Just like last time, Lorenz was seated in the reception room.
The only difference now was that he was holding a newspaper.
Does he just sit here all day?
“You’re late.”
“I had a lot to take care of.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
Lorenz, now wearing a different-colored suit than before, spoke curtly as he stood up.
He then picked up a box from one side of the reception room and placed it in front of me.
“Open it.”
“Ah, yes.”
Following his instruction, I opened the box to find an impressive black leather coat inside.
“This is…”
“A buff coat made from monster hide obtained during our recent trade.”
“…You guys really do trade, huh?”
“Even if it’s for appearances, we do what’s necessary.”
Ah, I see.
So those employees outside really were handling legitimate trade work.
More importantly, though…
I lifted the leather coat from the box.
At first glance, it looked like a stylishly designed jacket, but upon touching it, I could feel how sturdy and surprisingly heavy it was.
“What kind of monster hide is this?”
“Hide from a Highland Bull. The creature lives in the highlands, so its skin is both flexible and tough.”
A Highland Bull, huh? I know that monster.
It’s a mid-to-high-level creature, and I’ve heard its hide is highly sought after.
Seeing it crafted into a coat like this, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
“The design is excellent. Do I just put it on as is?”
“Try it on. It should fit perfectly.”
Perfectly? How does he even know my size?
Still, it’s a gift, so I put it on immediately.
“It’s a bit loose.”
“It’s tailored to account for your growth.”
“Ah…”
Well, it’s only slightly loose, and I can adjust the fit with the straps.
Still, considering my already large build, this coat must’ve used a significant amount of material.
“It’s heavy, but it’s much better than chainmail. The defense is superior, too.”
“This is an excellent gift.”
No exaggeration, this is truly an amazing piece of equipment.
It doesn’t hinder movement and looks fantastic as well.
I’ll probably end up wearing this quite often.
“Don’t thank me. Thank the second young master.”
“The second young master?”
“Yes, he’s the one who awarded it to you.”
“Ah, I see. I’ll be sure to express my gratitude.”
Wow, I’ve never even met this person, yet I’ve received such an extravagant reward.
With this coat and the sword I borrowed from Gareth, I feel confident I could take on the guy I fought last time without sustaining major injuries.
Equipment really makes a difference in battle.
Well anyway.
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
“Go ahead. It’s expensive, so take good care of it.”
After expressing my gratitude, I left the Astra Trading Company.
With a light step, I headed toward the Mercenary Guild.
By now, having visited the place several times, the way there was thoroughly familiar.
Ding-ling!
As soon as I arrived at the Mercenary Guild and opened the door without hesitation…
“Hey…”
“…Isn’t that him?”
I could feel all eyes snapping toward me instantly.
“Do you need something?”
With that, the stares dispersed just as quickly.
Is the rumor spreading already?
Well, it makes sense. Jevan is a pretty well-known figure, after all.
If someone like Jevan speaks highly of me, stories about me would naturally circulate.
Ignoring the curious gazes around me, I headed toward the tavern section of the guild.
“Everyone’s here?”
“Yes…”
There sat Jevan and his subordinates, gathered at a table.
They looked at me, armored and armed, with a hint of nervousness.
“You all look like I’m about to eat you.”
With that, I took the gold mercenary badge from my pocket and casually tossed it onto the table.
“This is…”
“Take it. Your identity has been verified.”
“Thank you…”
Jevan quickly grabbed the badge from the table and tucked it into his pocket, as if the lack of a badge had been weighing on him.
“You brought the mission request?”
“Ah, yes. Here it is.”
I had asked Jevan to pick out a mission last time, so now was the moment to check if he’d chosen well.
He handed me the mission paper, and I looked it over.
The assignment was written with simple words and a basic illustration.
Let’s see…
[Capture the Leader of the Werewolf Pack]
“Werewolf pack?”
To be honest, I was expecting something along the lines of hunting high-level monsters, but the details on this mission paper were slightly different from what I anticipated.
“Do they even form packs?”
Werewolves usually operate alone. I’d never heard of them forming groups.
“Uh, no, they don’t usually.”
“But now they are?”
“Yes, that’s why the Magic Tower wants us to capture the leader who organized them.”
“Ah.”
So it’s a unique case, and they want us to handle it.
Well, those shady Magic Tower folks experimenting on living creatures is nothing new.
“When do we head out?”
“We’re ready to leave now.”
Oh? They’ve already prepared?
A quick glance showed that the mercenaries’ bags were packed and ready to go.
As expected of seasoned veterans, their preparations were meticulous.
“But… uh… about Fleet…”
When I suggested heading out immediately, Jevan hesitated for a moment, clearly unsure.
He probably thought I’d teach him the Fleet technique before we left.
“I’ll teach you during the mission.”
“Sorry?”
“We’re not going to spend all our time chasing werewolves, right? I’ll teach you when we have some downtime.”
There’s no proper space to train here anyway.
We’ll probably camp in the mountains, so I can teach them during the breaks and have his men practice then.
“Ah… okay.”
Jevan’s eyes trembled slightly, as if he was imagining something, but…
“…Understood. Let’s leave right away.”
In the end, he nodded reluctantly.
“Alright, let’s get going.”
And so, for the first time as a mercenary Cain, not as slave Rain.
